By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – Comrade Archibong Bassey of NTA has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council.
Archibong and five others were re-elected as executive council (EXCO) members of the council at the 2025 Triennial Delegates Conference, which was held on Wednesday, 16th July 2025, at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Council, Calabar.
They were elected unopposed according to the electoral committee. Their tenure is to last until 2028, three years from now.
Other EXCO members re-elected were Comr. Sunday Inah of NTA as Vice Chairman, Comr. Michael Abang of Business Day as Secretary, Comr. Kingsley Agim of the Ministry of Information as Assistant Secretary, Comr. Achiane Adams of the Ministry of Information as Treasurer, and Benedine Tete Anam of FRCN as Auditor.
The conference was overseen by the National President of the NUJ, Comr. Alhassan Yahya, who was ably represented by Comr. Opakah Dokubo, Vice President, Zone F, as well as Dr Brenda Akpan, pioneer President of National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), as Chairman of the Conference.
Meanwhile, a legal practitioner, Barr. Olive Onah, administered the oaths of office and allegiance to the elected EXCO members.
Dokubo commended the process, tasking the new EXCO to cooperate with members to move the union forward in the state.
In his goodwill message, Hon. Erasmus Ekpang, Commissioner for Information, also commended the union’s unity in electing its new EXCO.
According to Ekpang, “We will continue as the government to give the Cross River State chapter of NUJ what it needs. I want to thank you for your unity, it’s better to come unopposed. I believe one day, the State Council will emerge as the best in the nation.”
In their separate goodwill messages, Comr. Timothy Ogban Akwaji, immediate past Head of Service of the state, Comr. Nsa Gill, immediate past state NUJ Chairman and the current Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Public Affairs, Comr. Samuel Egbala, Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Sports, and others, said, “You don’t change the winning team,” advising the new EXCO to do more.
In her remark, the State NUJ Chairman, Comr. Bassey, thanked the members for putting faith in her to lead them again.
“Our first term was a trial period. For the things we did right, we will do it better, the ones we didn’t do right, we will strive to do better,” she said.
Bassey called for unity among members. “If I have wronged you in the past, please forgive me. Let’s leave that behind and move ahead. I need all your support. Push me from the back, support me as you can. Come and tell me your idea of moving the council forward and not what someone told you about me,” she stated, asking God for the spirit of humility and love, to enable her lead the council well.
Converseer reports that the Comr. Bassey-led EXCO was first elected on 9th May 2025, to complete the tenure of Comr. Gill, who was then appointed Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
A lecture was also delivered by Dr Patrick Ene Okon on the theme, “AI: Ethical Implications for Journalism Practice in Nigeria.”
